Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened. When danger is sensed the body’s natural defense kicks in to an automatic process known as the ‘fight or flight’ reaction. This natural reaction is the body’s way of protecting you from real or imagined danger.

In a life threatening situation this response can give you extra strength to defend yourself or energy to run from danger. It can also help you to be the most effective at the task at hand, whether it be finishing an assignment you have been putting off or in giving you the extra boost to get through a grand final of a sporting event. Stress can also benefit the immune system as it helps prepare the body to withstand things like surgery and infections.

While stress can be beneficial it is important to be aware of when stress levels go beyond a helpful level and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships and your quality of life.

While we will all experience stress during our life, long term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress affects nearly every system of the body. It can raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility and suppress the immune system. Long term stress can also leave you vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

While you may feel like the stress in your life is out of your control, you can always control the way you respond. Through counselling I can support you to manage your stress by teaching you strategies to identify stressors, challenge and change negative thoughts that contribute to stress, and increasing your ability to problem solve.

Managing stress involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation.

Learning to manage stress is a life skill that will help you to get through both current difficulties and future events. It will allow you to bounce back from adversity and bring your life into balance, helping you to live a more rewarding and fulfilling life.